Southern 2-8-0 154 to be restored to operation

Steven Ashley · **Posted:** Fri Aug 22, 2008 4:09 pm

Earlier this afternoon I got an e-mail thread from the Yahoo Southern Railway group that I belong to announcing that Southern 2-8-0 154 was being removed from Chilhowee Park in Knoxville, Tennessee and is being moved to the Knoxville Locomotive Works for restoration.

http://www.threeriversrambler.com/blog.htm

http://www.cityofknoxville.org/Press_Re ... 8/0822.asp

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/aug/2 ... storation/

It looks like they are estimating a 2-3 year project. I'm sure it needs a lot of work since I've heard various reports on the condition of the boiler. Anyway I wish the Three Rivers Rambler and the Gulf & Ohio the best of luck with this project. It looks like within 4 or 5 years we could see 3 Southern Railway consolidations in steam. Ks-1 630 at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the 401 at the Monticello Railway Museum in Illinois and the 154 in Knoxville.

Apparently a website has been set up to document the restoration.

http://www.southern154.com

Afboone · **Posted:** Fri Aug 22, 2008 9:22 pm

Now if only Whippany Railroad Musuem would decide what they are going to do with 385. What a picture that would make 154, 385 and 401 together and under steam...Dream, Dream, Dream.....................

o anderson · **Posted:** Tue Jan 13, 2009 8:07 pm

Work is proceeding on this 2-8-0 in Knoxville. From their website:

Quote:

Since the last update work has concentrated mainly on 154's boiler. Removal of all 248 tubes has been completed and the eight inch diameter dry pipe that takes steam from the boiler to the cylinders has been removed along with the throttle valve.

While the work proceeds on the boiler interior, sandblasting continues on the exterior of the boiler to remove many years of paint and dirt. Once the exterior is completely clean square grids will be drawn on the boiler which will allow for thickness measurements to be taken on the entire boiler. The locomotive cab and drivers have also been sandblasted.

As the boiler work has progressed so to has the overhaul on many of the hundreds of parts that make up the locomotive. Restoration work is being carried out on these parts so that when the time comes for reassembly they can be pulled from storage and placed back on the locomotive.

Over the next month boiler work will continue as the front tube sheet will be removed and replaced, many boiler studs will be replaced, and work will proceed toward ultrasound testing of the entire boiler.

http://www.southern154.com/154-1208/

http://www.southern154.com/

tomgears · **Posted:** Thu Jan 15, 2009 8:33 am

Very cool news. Thanks for posting.

M_Overlander · **Posted:** Thu Jan 15, 2009 1:23 pm

If I may speak out of turn a little. While I spend my energies on SRR6914, I do note the progress on SRR 2-8-0 630 in the shop. Crown brasses are almost done, so she should be back on her wheels very soon. Then is shoes and wedges, spring rigging, etc. There is a lot less of the re-make, repair, replace work to be done now, so optimistically it could be steaming in 2009. And its allot closer (regionally) to 154 if you are dreaming of reunions.
Respectfully,
Mike Overlander
http://tvrail.com